GB2209617A - Emergency signal device - Google Patents

Abstract

A signal device, devised for use to indicate the occurrence of an emergency, especially one involving an individual at an isolated location, comprises an inflatable balloon, a container for gas under pressure connected to supply gas to the interior of the balloon, valve means disposed to control gas flow from the container to the balloon, and a flexible line, secured at a first end thereof directly or indirectly to the balloon and having attachment means at its other end.

Description

Emergency Signal Device.

The present invention is a signal device, devised for use to indicate the occurrence of an emergency and thereby to secure assistance.

When an individual or a small party of people encounter an emergency in an isolated location, it may prove extremely difficult to summon assistance. . For example, if a walker or irountaineer injures himself, he may have no easy way of alerting others to his need of help. Even if he is not alone, valuable time may be lost in sending another person to obtain assistance. Similarly, a yachtsman or fisherman may become injured or encounter difficulties off-shore and may have no means of summoning help.

The emergency signal device according to the present invention is intended to provide a means of seeking assistance in such situations.

The device according to the invention comprises an inflatable balloon, a container for gas under pressure connected to supply gas to the interior of the balloon, valve means disposed to control gas flow fram said container to said balloon, and a flexible line, secured at a first end thereof directly or indirectly to said balloon and having attachment means at the second end thereof.

It is intended that ten a person provided with the device encounters an emergency, the valve means may be operated to allow the gas under pressure to expand into the balloon and inflate it and then the balloon may be allowed to ascend, tethered by the flexible line, to a height at which it may readily be seen by potential rescuers.

The balloon will normally be kept ready for use in a collapsed condition so as to occupy the minimum amount of space. It may be made of a non-stretching material, for exanplearttberised fabric, so that it simply inflates when filled with gas, or of a material which expands under pressure, for example a natural or synthetic rubber or other elastic material, such that the balloon becomes greatly enlarged under pressure. The actual dimensions of the balloon in its inflated and collapsed conditions may be selected in the light of the particular circumstances in which the device is likely to be used.Thus, for example, a fell-walker may carry a very compact, light-weight device which incorporates a balloon which will expand under pressure, whereas a yachtsman may prefer to adopt a less compact device in which the balloon is of stronger, more durable non-stretching material and/or of a larger size.

In a similar manner, the gas container may be adapted to the likely circumstances of use. Thus the container may be of dinnnsions and material similar to that of a domestic aerosol container, for example of tinplate,or may take the form of a gas cylinder of heavier structure in steel or iron.

In use, the gas container is filled with a gas under pressure, which gas is lighter than air at ambient temperatures and pressures.

Suitable gases for this purpose include helium, which is preferred, hydrogen or lighter-than-air mixtures containing one or both of those gases.

Operation of the device according to the invention if an emergency arises is by opening the valve means to allow the gas to expand into the balloon. Preferably the valve means is of a type which is operable by a single action, for example the pushing of a button or other valve feature or the turning of a valve member through a limited angle. In one form of the invention, the valve means stays open once operated, so that the user does not have to hold the valve means in the open position.

When the balloon has been inflated, it may or may not remain connected the gas container. If the gas container is sufficiently light in ocwparison with the buoyancy of the balloon, then the container may conveniently be allowed to ascend with the balloon.

In this way, the need to allow these two components to separate without loss of gas from the balloon is avoided Alternatively and preferably, provision may be made for the balloon and the container to be easily separable, it then being necessary to provide a self-sealing device, for example a one-way valve, for the balloon. When the balloon and gas container are separable, the valve means which controls the gas flow may remain attached to the container or to the balloon, or may itself divide so as to provide the self-sealing device for the balloon.

The balloon, when released to signal an emergency, remains tethered to the site of the emergency by the flexible line. When the components are separable as described above, the line is attached at its first end to the balloon. However if the container and balloon are to remain connected together as the balloon ascends, then the line may be attached to the container. Preferably, the line is as light as possible compatible with its intended use. A fine nylon line is ideal for this purpose and is likely to remain light in wet conditions; however lines of other natural and/or synthetic materials may be used.

At its other end, the line'is provided with attachment means, whereby it may be suitably anchored. For examçle, the attachment means may very advantageously comprise a sprung hook of the quicklyattached type, to enable the line to be secured to a loop or ring on a belt, rucksack, jacket or harness rn m by the user or to some available structure such as on a boat.

The device as a whole may be designed to be readily carried by the user, for example in a pocket or rucksack, and then attached to a suitable anchoring point when used. As one alternative, the device may be mounted upon a harness, which in turn may be intended for aontinuous wearing, or for donning in particularly dangerous situations, of specifically for dunning only when an emergency has arisen. In another form of the invention, the device may be mounted upon the carrying straps of a rucksack or upon or within the body of a rucksack, for example in a pocket provided for the purpose.

In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the balloon is marked or made of a material by means of which its detection and/or identification is assisted. Thus, for exarrle, the balloon may be of a colour intended to identify the particular class of user requiring assistance, such as say red for a walker and yellow for a yachtsman. Preferably the balloon is designed to reflect radar signals and/or is luminous and/or fluorescent.

In one form of the invention, the device may include a radio transmitter, associated with the ground end or the aerial end of the equipment in use. The transmitter may be pretuned to a recognised distress frequency and may, if desired, be designed to transmit autanatically en the valve means is operated to inflate the balloon or when the balloon reaches the limit of its ascent.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is an elevation of a first embodiment of the emergency signal device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a detailed view, partly in vertical section,of the valve end of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detailed view, partly in vertical section of the line end of the device of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is an elevation of a second, preferred embodlmfnt of the emergency signal device according to the invention.

The device illustrated in Figs. 1 - 3 comprises a compact pressurised container 5 having a removable top cap 6 and a fixed lower cap 7 through which projects a light nylon line provided with a sprung hook 9. The container 5 is filled with helium gas under pressure. When the cap 6 is removed, the valve 10 is exposed. To the outer end of the passage 11 in valve 10, a balloon 12 is secured by means of a clamping ring 13. Thus, when the valve 10 is pressed to allow the pressurised helium to escape via the passage 11, the balloon 12.is inflated by the gas. Within the lower cap 7, a bobbin 14 is retained and the line 8 is secured to, and wrapped around, the spindle of the bobbin 14.Friction pads 15 ensure that the bobbin rotates only when a pull is applied to the line 8.

In using the device of Figs. 1 - 3 in an emergency, the hook 9 is secured to a belt ring or other convenient place, the cap 6 is removed and the valve 10 is pressed to inflate the balloon 12. The balloon and attached canister are then allowed to ascend to the limit of the line 8, which typically may extend to a height of approximately 100 metres.

In the eoOodnrnt of the invention which is illustrated in Fig. 4, the caEponents are mounted upon a support plate 20 and a harness comprising webbing 21,a hack plate 22 and buckles 23. Upon the support plate 20, a cylinder 31 of helium gas under pressure is retained by a cross strap 24. The cylinder 31 is linked by a regulator 25 and braided tubing 26 to a valve 27 operated by a lever 28. The output side of the valve 27 is connected via a bayonet-type quick-release coupling 29 to a balloon 30.

When an emergency arises and it is therefore desired to use the device illustrated in Fig. 4, the lever 28 is moved to open the valve 27 and thus inflate the balloon 30. By disengagement of the bayonet coupling 29, which incorporates a one-way valve in the part associated with the balloon, the balloon and the coupling component are released and are allowed to ascend, while tethered by a nylon line (nct shown) to the harness 21.

Claims (16)

1. An emergency signal device which comprises an inflatable balloon, a container for gas under pressure connected to supply gas to the interior of the balloon, valve means disposed to control gas flow fran said container to said balloon, and a flexible line, secured at a first end thereof directly or indirectly to said balloon and having attachment means at the send end thereof.

2. A signal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the balloon is of a rubberised fabric.

3. A signal device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the balloon is of an elastic material.

4. A signal device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said gas container is of tinplate or of steel or iron.

5. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said gas container is filled with a gas which is lighter than air at ambient temperatures and pressures.

6. A signal device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said gas is helium or hydrogen.

7. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the valve means is operable by pushing a button or other valve feature.

8. A signal device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the valve means is operable by means of a lever.

9. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the balloon and container are separable and the balloon is provided with a self-sealing device.

10. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible line is of nylon.

11. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment means comprises a sprung hook.

12. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, mounted upon a harness.

13. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the balloon is designed to reflect radar signals and/or is luminous and/or fluDrescent.

14. A signal device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, including a radio transmitter.

15. An emergency signal device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

16. An emergency signal device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.